Unplottable Island

Chapter 5: This is SO Weird

Laura sat back on her heels, looking at Sirius in a new light. "You really did all that?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ears. "All for James?"

"For you, Lily, James—anyone who had died because of Pettigrew's treachery. I'm going to get him, and when I do the Ministry won't even find a finger." Sirius grinned wolfishly, his bright black eyes mischievous. Laura laughed, realizing by the hollowness of the sound that she'd come out of the habit of laughing.

"Sirius, I've missed you. You make me laugh better than anyone I know," she commented, smoothing her hair behind her ears again. "Sixteen years and never once did I stop missing you."

Sirius sighed a little. "I tried to keep you close in Azkaban," he said softly. "But all my memories of you were happy, so they just slipped away." He leaned forward and touched her face. "Sometimes I could see you, it was so real. I could hear your voice but when I tried to touch you—" he broke off, his face turning red.

Laura rested her hand on his. "Surely you have at least one unhappy memory of me?" she queried. "I broke your nose when I was twelve."

Sirius snickered. "If I remember, you kicked me in the face when I tapped your foot during a Quiddich match."

"You had my foot and you weren't letting go, so I speeded up the act." Laura grinned.

Feeling his nose, Sirius added "And you punched me in the *cough* groin area once, I believe."

"I did no such thing!"

"Ah, but you did. I think it was because of something I said that you took offense to…or maybe it was something I did," Sirius grinned slyly. "Like—this!" He bent forward and pecked her on the lips, a wide smile appearing at the surprise on her face.

Laura brushed her hand against her lips, then drew Sirius back and kissed him. "I've missed you," she whispered as her ran a hand through her hair, her hands twined around the back of his neck as they reattached at the lip.

"Ahem." They sprang apart like guilty students as Dumbledore walked in. "Sirius, Laura, there will be other times—later, and preferably not in my office. I've found both young Mr. Potters. They seem to be getting along quite well; Harry was instructing Tim on the finer points of the school." At Laura's silent query he added "No. They haven't guessed."

"Not surprising," Sirius groaned, straightening. "They don't look anything alike."

"Well, I don't know, but other than being about the same height and build, they aren't at all identical," Laura added standing. "Are you going to tell them, Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore smiled crookedly. "I think we can avoid confrontations more if you two tell them—you are, after all, their legal guardians, and they might feel cheated hearing of it from me." Laura nodded, then settled back on the couch. Dumbledore left to bring back Tim and Harry.

Laura sighed and sank back against his arm. "I get the feeling that this isn't going to be pretty, Sirius."

He kissed her lightly. "We probably should have told them awhile ago," he said, resting his head on hers.

"I would have, but I didn't know if Harry was alive or dead or locked up somewhere. I didn't want to give Tim any false hopes," she confessed.

Sirius nodded. "Yes, and Dumbledore couldn't have told Harry because he didn't know if you and Tim were dead or something. They never found a body, but they never found you, either."

"So we are completely innocent of keeping this from them," Laura said, then groaned "I have a feeling that they won't buy our excuses."

"Me too."

"Tim? Harry? Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore called.

"Yes?" they replied simultaneously. The old man shivered. They sounded exactly alike.

"Your presence is required in my office," Dumbledore said graciously. He paused as they turned toward his. They were so like James…but no, Harry had Lily's eyes, and Tim had that fiery hair. They were about the same height—Tim was slightly taller, but thinner. Harry wore glasses, Tim didn't. There were many differences, but their bearing, features, and motions were much alike. Not enough to notice—but obvious if you looked hard.

The boys exchanged glances. "Alrighty then," Tim said, hooking his thumbs in his belt loops. "I guess Aunt finally decided to let me in on the secret," he added sarcastically.

Harry followed. "What secret?"

"That's just it. All my life I've lived with her, but she never really gotten around to telling me why exactly I'm not living with my parents, or why I've never visited them. All we have is a mangy old photograph of them on their wedding day, and she keeps that hidden. She doesn't know I know about it." Tim growled. "I just wish she'd told me."

"At least you might have parents," Harry said shortly. "Mine are dead."

"Oh." Tim shuffled awkwardly on, then said "I'm sorry. When did they die?"

"When I was a baby," Harry spat out in a kind of uncomfortable way. "I don't really want to talk about it." Changing the subject, he asked "How long have you lived with your Aunt—Leslie?"

Tim laughed. "Oh, next to forever—her name's Laura, by the way—on an island. I'm not exactly sure where it is, but it's Unplottable."

Harry goggled. "That's pretty cool—what's it like, living on an island no one can find?"

"Well, it's pretty boring. We would live here except me and Laura were hiding from this guy named Voldemort—oh, sorry," he said, for Harry had turned pale at the mention of his foe. "I mean, we were hiding from Evil-Guy, and I guess word never got through whether it was safe or not to return. I think my mom and dad were supposed to join us afterward—but I guess they got lost or something." He looked around. "Speaking of lost, do you know where we are?"

Harry glanced around, adjusted his glasses, and pointed to the left. "Around that corner. There's a gargoyle, but we're going to have to guess the password because I don't know what he's changed it to."

"Won't that take ages?" Tim asked as they rounded the corner. "I mean, there are so many possibilities…"

Harry grinned. "Oh, no. It's always a sweet—something he likes."

Tim frowned. "I don't know many. Just Chocolate Frogs—Laura has a sweet tooth."

"Okay then. Er…Chocolate Frogs! Blood Flavored Lollipops! Ummm…Licorice Wands! Caldron Cakes!" The gargoyle remained unmoving. Harry sighed, though some more, then added "Oh, I dunno—Ton-Tongue Toffee! Oh my god, I don't believe it…"

The gargoyle jumped aside. "What's that stuff?" Tim asked Harry as they boarded the revolving staircase.

Harry shuddered, smirking a little. "Hope you never taste one, but someday someone will slip one in Snape's tea and we'll all have a good laugh."

Tim was going to ask who Snape was, but they were at the top of the staircase and the door was open. Laura and a tall, thin man were sitting together on a chaise lounge in front of the fire. There were two more chairs, presumably for Tim and Harry.

"Hullo, Laura," Tim said, feeling rather cold. "Who's this?"

Laura smiled, looking nervous. "Er…Tim, this is Sirius Black, one of my oldest and dearest friends. Sirius, this is my nephew, Tim."

"Pleased to meet you," he said, smiling. He had a cheery smile, and smiled more with his dark eyes than anything else. "You can sit if you'd like."

Laura cleared her throat. "Tim, Harry, we need to tell you guys something. I know Tim should have heard some of it earlier, but it's still kind of painful…" she trailed off, looking at Sirius.

Sirius, always know for his tactfulness (here the author jests), took over. "Harry, when you were born, have you ever seen the pictures?"

"Er…no, actually," Harry said. "I don't have any."

"Damn." Sirius thought. "Harry, who are your parents?"

"Lily and James Potter, Sirius," Harry said in a rather lecturing tone, like someone explaining that one and one made two.

Tim jumped. "Why that's my last name too! And my father's name is James," he looked sidelong at Harry. Green eyes met blue, and in a second it all fell together, what Sirius and Laura were so eloquently trying to explain.

"Oh my god." Harry intoned flatly. "This better not be a joke."

"Seriously," Tim echoed.

Laura smiled shakily. "No joke, guys. You're brothers!"

"Twins," Harry said hollowly. "We're twins."

"Sheeeyooot," Tim swore, swiftly changing his word of choice as Laura glared at him.

"Don't swear in front of me. I'm still your aunt."

"And mine too," Harry said, staring straight ahead with a stupefied look on his face. "This is so weird."

Tim looked at Sirius. "And you're my godfather. Are there any more relatives that are hiding somewhere?"

Laura sighed and sank back. "It's a long story, boys. I think we'd better call for some supper."

Author's Note: I am soooo bad! Next part will be mostly Laura and Sirius explaining what the hell was going on that night, and Tim trying to find out why the hell Laura has neglected to explain this to him. So, until then, Chao! Review, por favor. Gracias.